Senators called Wednesday for the United States to slap sanctions on Myanmar's army chief, saying more needed to be done to bring accountability over the campaign against the Rohingya.

In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the four senators said Myanmar has shown "no credible signs of progress" despite widespread international condemnation of the killings and sexual violence against members of the mostly Muslim minority.

Senators including Dick Durbin, the number-two Democrat, said that sanctions against Myanmar's army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as well as other top officers would demonstrate "US intolerance for behavior that contravenes fundamental human rights."

"The Trump administration has taken no action against these senior officials even though sanctions designations would send a strong message that the United States supports accountability for those perpetrating well-documented human rights abuses against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities," wrote the group that also included Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana, which has become a hub for refugees from Myanmar.

The Treasury Department in August imposed sanctions on four commanders accused of orchestrating massacres, but the senators said the move was insufficient.

They urged sanctions against Min Aung Hlaing under the Magnitsky Act, a US law named after a Russian accountant who died in prison that lays out the seizure of assets and a US travel ban for foreign officials who violate human rights.

Around 740,000 Rohingya fled into neighboring Bangladesh in 2017 in a military campaign that the UN called ethnic cleansing.

In a rare foreign media interview last month, Min Aung Hlaing told Japan's Asahi Shimbun that there was "no certain proof" the army had persecuted the Rohingya.

The military shares power with a civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, a former heroine in the West when she was under house arrest who has been widely condemned for not speaking up on behalf of the Rohingya.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Court rules gunmaker Remington can be sued over US massacre
New York (AFP) March 15, 2019
Connecticut's supreme court ruled Thursday that US gunmaker Remington can be sued over the 2012 massacre at the Sandy Hook elementary school in which one of its weapons was used. The attack just before Christmas left 20 school children and six staffers dead. The 4-3 ruling by the state court raised hopes among the victims' families of punishing the marketers of the powerful Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle used by the shooter, Adam Lanza. It also sets a precedent that could lead to more lawsui ... read more